Box-opener



L. I. FELTS.

BOX OPENER. APPLICATION WFILED OCT. 20, 1920.

193395? Patented Dec. 28,1920.

awe/MM flier o f f LOBING- I. BELTS, F ADAMS, KANSAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 192%).

Application filed October 20, 1920. Serial No. 413,280.

1 0 all to hem it may concern Be it known that I, LoRINe 1. Farms, a citizen of the United States, residing at Adams, in the county of Kingman, State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Box-()pener; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to box opening devices and primarily to a box opening knife particularly adapted for opening cardboard boxes and has for its object to provide a knife of this character having a toothed blade carried by a handle member, said knife being rockably mounted on right angied members, which members are adapted to engage the box adjacent one side thereof and are adapted to be intermittently moved after each severing movement of the box opening.

A further object is to provide one of the angular members with a flange, which flange engages the corner of the box for guiding the device as the knife is intermittently moved forwardly during a cutting operation.

A further object is to provide coiled springs interposed between the knife back and the box engaging arms, said springs forming means for holding the box engaging arms in engagement with the box during a box opening operation.

A. further object is to provide a bracket carried by the back of the knife for engaging the box engaging arms for limiting the downward rocking of the handle end of the knife.

"With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device showing the same in position on a box and the blade in down position ready to be rocked upwardly for severing the box.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 except that the knife blade is shown in opposition and one of the supporting and guiding brackets broken away.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a knife blade having a serrated edge 2. The knife blade 1 is disposed in the bifurcations 3 of the handle 4: and through the arms of said bifurcations 3 and the ferrule 5 thereon and also the knife 1, a bolt 6 passes, The knife is also held by a bolt 7 which passes through the ferrule 5 and the knife blade, said bolt 7 forming additional holding means for the knife blade. Handle l preferably extends at an angle to the blade 1, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Pivotally connected to the ends of the bolt 6 are the arms 8 of the right angled box engaging members 9, the arms 10 of which are adapted to be placed in engagement with the box so that the knife as a whole may be rocked on the pivotal bolt 6. One of the arms 10 is provided with a flange 11 adapted to engage the surface 12 of the box 13 so that the knife may be guided as it is moved forwardly during a severing operation and during the oscillation of a knife as a whole on the pivotal bolt 6, there being coiled springs 14 interposed between the arms 10 and the ferrule 5 for maintaining the arms 10 in engagement with the box during the severing thereof by the oscillation of the knife. The back 15 of the knife handle 4 is provided with a member 16 which engages the arms 10 as the handle is forced downwardly and limits the downward movement of said handle.

The under faces of the arms 10 are provided with prongs 17 which bite into the surface of the box and prevent slipping of the angle supporting members 9 during the oscillation of the knife as a whole during a. severing operation.

When it is desired to open a box the end 2 of the knife blade is forced through the box then the arms 10 of the right angle members 9 are placed in engagement with the box, after which the handle 4 is grasped by the operator and forced downwardly in the direction of the arrow at. During the downward movement of the handle 4 the serrated cutting edge will sever the box, then the knife blade is rocked downwardly for another cutting operation. During the oscillation of the knife as a whole on the pivotal bolt 6 angle brackets 9 are gradually worked forwardly for supporting theknife during subsequent operations.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is l. A box severing knife comprising a handle carried blade, the cutting edge of said blade being upwardly disposed, said knife being pivotally mounted on vertical arms of right angled supporting brackets, the horizontal arms of said brackets being adapted to engage the box surface during a box severing operation, springs interposed between the horizontal arms of the right angle members'and the back of the knife, a'fiange carried by one of the horizontal arms of one of the right angle supporting brackets and forming a guide for guiding the supporting bracket forwardly during a severing operation, means for limiting the downward movement of the handle end of the knife and lugs carried by the under faces of the horizontal arms for embedding in the surface of the box and preventing slipping of the right angled brackets.

2. A box severing knife comprising a blade and a handle member, a right angle bracket having one of its arms vertically disposed and pivotally connected to the knife at a point intermediate its ends, the other arm of said bracket being horizontally disposed and provided with a flange, said flange being adapted to engage the edge of a box for guiding the bracket forwardly when the horizontal arm is. in engagement with the box and a spring interposed between the horizontal arm and the back of the knife.

3.. A box severing knife comprising a severing blade having a handle thereon, said knife being pivotally mounted in an upwardly extending bracket, said bracket being adapted to engage the surface of a box and support the knife during 'an oscillation thereof and spring means interposed between the back of the knife and the supporting bracket for maintaining the supporting bracket in engagement with the box as the knife is moved forwardly during a severing operation.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LORING I. FELTS.

Witnesses:

J. C. RIcGs, A. D. SAMMONS. 

